Otter Pond #2 is a 12-acre body of water located off Route 35 in Standish, Maine (see The Maine Atlas and Gazetteer map 5 D1). Read this blog for information on trout stocking and directions. The state stocks Otter Pond #2 with lots of brookies each fall to support fast early-season ice fishing.
It’s still dark when I get to the parking lot by Route 35 at 6:30 am. I’m expecting a lot of competition today (Sunday) and want to make sure that I can get to my favorite spot on the pond. The only other person at the parking lot arrives a minute before me and gets on the ice first. He sets up exactly where I wanted to fish today!! I place myself next to him and proceed to drill my five holes and set out my traps. The ice is 5” to 6” thick, which is plenty safe. I’m placing my small shiners in water 4 to 8 ft deep right alongside the shoreline. My son Joel and I caught over two dozen brook trout in this area when we trolled the pond in mid-November of 2012 (click here for details).
The blog author with a nice 14″ brook trout from Otter Pond #2, Standish, Maine
I get my first flag of the day while still setting up my traps, which is a good sign. I fight and land a nice 14” brook trout which I keep for diner. Wonderful, the fish are biting this morning! I strike a pleasant conversation with my neighbor who has clearly ice fished this pond before. The weather conditions are also perfect: overcast with flurries, no wind, and temps in the mid 20’s. We both have slow but steady flag action over the next 1.5 hours, which yields me another two 10” trout. Joel arrives around 8:30 am and drills five more holes around my traps for himself. His first fish is a feisty 14” brookie which he keeps to bring home.
A majestic bald eagle circles low above the pond looking for his next meal. A guy on the opposite side catches a small fish and leaves it flopping on the ice on purpose. The eagle swoops down to grab the fish and lands on the ice to consume it. The bird then decides to set up shop in a tree right next to us, where it stays perched on a branch for a good 30 minutes looking intently at the surroundings! It’s so nice to see this kind of wildlife up close.
It’s now around 9:30 am, the flurries ended, the sky has cleared up, the sun has come out from behind the clouds … and the fish have stopped biting. Our neighbor leaves at 10:15 am and we decide to call it a day at 11:00 am. Overall, the action was rather slow for Otter Pond #2 (except for the early-morning bite) but Joel and I are glad that our first ice fishing trip of the season was a success!
The results: I caught four brook trout (two 14 inchers and two 10 inchers) and Joel caught two brook trout (one 14 incher and one 9 incher).
Was the information in this blog useful? I invite you to share your thoughts and opinions. Also, feel free to tell us about your fishing experiencs on this pond.
